Malaysia's Economic Affairs Minister Mustapa Mohamed has tested positive for the coronavirus and is in stable condition, his office said yesterday.

He tested positive following a Covid-19 test last Saturday morning, three days after he attended a Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) meeting at which Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and several other Cabinet members were present.

The Malay Mail reported that Datuk Seri Mustapa also attended a Cabinet meeting that Wednesday.

Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan said all those who attended the party meeting will undergo Covid-19 tests.

Mr Mustapa got tested in Kota Baru in his home state of Kelantan after travelling from the capital Kuala Lumpur, his office said.

He has been admitted to a public hospital in Kelantan since Saturday night, and remains in stable condition.

"Datuk Seri Mustapa apologises for all the difficulties that arise from this matter," his office said, without disclosing the source of his infection.

The Health Ministry said yesterday that it was tracing his close contacts.

Mr Mustapa, who is a former trade minister and the MP for Jeli ward in Kelantan, tested negative at a previous test taken on Jan 1.

He is the second member of Tan Sri Muhyiddin's Cabinet to test positive for the virus, after Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri in October last year.

Mr Mustapa's positive test comes as cases continue to soar in Malaysia.

The country has recorded 80 deaths from the virus in the first 10 days of this year. It has a total of 135,992 cases of Covid-19 so far, with 551 deaths.

The country has purchased 12.8 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The first batch is not due to arrive until next month. Ram Anand